A birth injury should never define a child’s future. At Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A., our founding partners Jonathan Schochor and Kerry Staton have dedicated more than four decades to helping families rebuild after devastating medical errors.
From our Baltimore office, just minutes from Dundalk via I-95, we have recovered over $1 billion for victims of medical negligence, including numerous seven- and eight-figure birth-injury recoveries. When you call (410) 234-1000 for a free consultation, you speak directly with a lawyer who understands the medicine, the law, and, most importantly, your child’s needs.
Why Local Experience Matters in Erb’s Palsy Cases
Dundalk parents deserve counsel who know the local hospitals, the Baltimore County court system, and the unique challenges of raising a child with a brachial plexus injury in our community. Erb’s palsy attorney Jonathan Schochor has tried cases arising out of deliveries at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and MedStar Franklin Square. Birth-injury lawyer Kerry Staton routinely appears before judges in Towson’s Circuit Court, giving our team insight into local juror expectations and procedural preferences. That hometown familiarity helps us craft strategies that resonate with Baltimore-area juries and pressure insurers to settle fairly.
Hospitals & Birth Centers We Investigate
- Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
- MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
- University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center
- Baltimore-area birthing centers that serve eastern Baltimore County families
Past Results in Baltimore County
Our attorneys have secured multiple multimillion-dollar settlements for children whose shoulder dystocia was mismanaged during delivery at county hospitals. Jurors here respond strongly when they learn that a preventable error has left a baby with a permanent disability, so we prepare every Dundalk case as if trial were inevitable.
Understanding Erb’s Palsy
Erb’s palsy is the most common brachial-plexus birth injury. Roughly 1-2 of every 1,000 newborns sustain damage when the network of nerves that powers the shoulder and arm is stretched or torn during a difficult birth. The result is weakness or paralysis in the affected arm.
Medical Definition & Anatomy
The brachial plexus runs from the neck through the shoulder. Excessive traction on a baby’s head or arm, often during shoulder dystocia, can stretch (neuropraxia), rupture, or avulse those nerves. Because the injury is localized, cognition is unaffected, but motor control in the arm may be severely limited.
Common Delivery Errors
- Undiagnosed macrosomia – Large-for-gestational-age babies should prompt early C-section discussions.
- Prolonged second stage of labor – Extended pushing increases the risk of forceful maneuvers.
- Improper use of vacuum or forceps – Devices designed to assist delivery can harm when applied with excessive force.
- Incorrect shoulder-dystocia maneuvers – Safe techniques exist (McRoberts, suprapubic pressure). Pulling on the baby’s neck is never acceptable.
Early Signs & Long-Term Complications
Parents may see a limp “waiter’s tip” arm, absent Moro reflex, or inability to grip. Mild stretching injuries often heal within months; full ruptures can leave lifelong weakness, arm-length discrepancies, and chronic pain.
Was Malpractice to Blame?
Most Erb’s palsy injuries are preventable. Our Dundalk Erb’s palsy attorneys obtain prenatal records, delivery notes, and fetal monitor strips to spot red flags such as undiagnosed maternal diabetes or documented shoulder dystocia followed by excessive traction. Independent obstetric and pediatric neurology experts then confirm whether accepted standards were breached.
Proving Negligence
- Duty – The delivering clinician owed your child competent care.
- Breach – The clinician ignored risk factors or used unsafe techniques.
- Causation – That mistake damaged the brachial plexus nerves.
- Damages – Your family faces medical bills, therapy costs, and pain that demand compensation.
